CULINARY CONVERSATIONS: FOOD FAILURES

Join us for a night of personal stories of failed projects in the food industry—how it happens, what it inspires, and where to go from failure.

SPEAKERS:

• Cory Davis, Daddy Pete's BBQ
• Shelby Kibler, Field & Fire
• Mark Peters, Butterball Farms
• Jessica Ann Tyson, Candied Yam

Moderated by Dexter Dakota, Big Damn Cliff Restaurant Consulting

SPEAKER BIOS:
Cory Davis, Daddy Pete's BBQ
Cory Davis and his wife, Tarra, established Daddy Pete’s BBQ in 2012. BBQ’ing as a stress relieving hobby quickly turned into a passion that compelled friends, family members and even strangers to begin ordering dinners. Beginning humbly, by selling dinners to friends and family from home, word began to spread and strangers began placing orders for food. This is when the decision was made to find a way to make this into an official business. With encouragement from friends and family, Cory and his wife officially established Daddy Pete’s BBQ, first as a food truck, then adding a to-go location in 2015. Their vision is to spread joy to the community through an exceptional southern BBQ dining experience.

Shelby Kibler, Field & Fire
Shelby Kibler, owner of Field & Fire, is motivated by the aroma, flavor, and texture of his breads, and by the very mindful, down-to-earth art of baking used at his business. Shelby and his team take precious resources from the earth's stewards (farmers) and carefully ferment it so that it becomes healthful food for people. With long, slow fermentation, the use of sourdough cultures, and recipes that call for lots of whole grains, they produce baked goods with exceptional character. Hand-mixing and wood-fired oven baking complete the transition from raw ingredients to bread. The team at Field & Fire believes that the act of baking is a noble act, but only so far as the baker cares for the earth that provided the raw materials, and the health of the people who will be eating the finished product.

Mark Peters, Butterball Farms
Mark grew up in the operations side of the business working with his father, Leo Peters, Founder of Butterball Farms. After the death of Leo Peters in 1995 Mark succeeded his father as President. Mark has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Calvin College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Davenport University, as well as three semesters of engineering from Grand Valley State University. Mark has enriched many lives and strives to have every employee and the larger community share in this mission. Mark is involved in a number of non-profit organizations and his focus is on organizations that provide community development through services or education.

Jessica Ann Tyson, Candied Yam
At the age of four, Jessica Ann Tyson and her identical twin sissy Monica were malnourished, neglected and eating out of trash cans when placed in foster care. Three years later, the girls were adopted by a loving family who change their lives forever. Their parents taught them how to grow fresh veggies, tend the family garden, do business at the local farmers market, to share the harvest with those less fortunate and cook delicious meals that the family would enjoy around the dinner table. The love of food, family, community and service is what drove Jessica Ann to open The Candied Yam ~ Delightful Southern Cuisine where one can find warm hospitality, deliciously fresh meals made from scratch, with love from her family to yours!